Never ever
by Polly Dollarbird
Summary: At the age of 8, Rory and Abby thought that they would never ever be torn apart, but their different lives messed it all up. When they finally meet again can they still be friends or have they changed to much to be anything more than strangers? Rory/OC
1. Prologue

**Hello!** So this is my first ever fan fiction, I can only ever say that once so I thought I'd state it loud and clear. So please, be gentle. I know I'm not that great but I'm having fun and to me that's what it's all about (may or may not be listening to the Hokey Pokey right now…. Don't judge me on that!)

This is a little something that started to float around in my head in the middle of the night just before a very, very important exam (procrastination even occurs in my dreams!) so I wrote it all down and I hope anyone who reads it can enjoy it.

**Before i start…** I have to say that I do not own Glee or anything to do with it, that all belongs to (now let me see, *searches through list of awesome people* J.K Rowling?… no not her, Russell T Davis?… no not him, …where… oh here!) Ryan Murphy and his jolly band of misfits that's them!

This one is for all the Rory fans out there! Enjoy!

* * *

**Prologue**

"No! No I don't want to go, you can't make me!" A little girl, only eight years old, stood at the top of the stairs in her home in Ireland, screaming at her mother. She stomped her tiny feet as the tears trickled down her face.

"Abby baby, I know you don't want to go but we have to. Daddy has a very important job to do over in America which means we have to move there," her mother explained as gently as possible. Abby didn't care much for gentleness at that point. She almost wished that her mother would yell and scream just like she did, at least then she wouldn't have to feel like the only person upset about all of this.

"Why? Why do we have to move too? Can't you and me and Danny stay here while Daddy works?" she asked a little more calmly. She watched as her mother shook her head very sadly.

"But then we'd never see daddy and you'd miss him. We're a family Abby, and families stick together."

Abby looked up at the family portrait on the wall. There was her mother, smiling proudly with a one year old Daniel sitting on her knee. Next to her sat a sixteen year old Katherine, Abby's older half-sister and behind Katherine stood her older half-brother Conner who, at the time of the picture, had just turned turned twenty and moved in with his girlfriend of two years. As her eyes moved to the final two figures in the portrait, she felt as though she might start to cry again. Next to Conner stood her father, tall and proud like any other army man and clutching a beaming Abby tightly to his side. The picture had been taken just over two years ago and she would have given anything to go back to that moment but she knew that she couldn't.

"What about Conner and Katie?" she asked in a small, choked voice. "They're our family too but they're not coming with us."

"Oh sweetie of course they're our family but Katie just started college and now that Conner is married he has to stay here with Lucy," her mother explained.

Abby thought about not seeing her brother and sister and sighed. She loved them but she could never move away from her Daddy. She loved him more than anyone else in the world and she knew that she could never live without him.

"Is America a nice place?" She asked nervously. Her mother only smiled and took her by the hand, leading her into her room.

"I'll tell you all about it while we pack."

* * *

Three weeks later, Abby stood surrounded by boxes and almost ready to leave her home in Ireland.

"I wish you didn't have to go." A young dark haired boy pouted as he stood in the living room of the house next door to his own. He crossed his arms over his little chest, frowning rather comically.

Abby laughed a little sadly and pulled him in for an awkward kind of hug. She was going to miss him, even if he did have boy germs.

"I don't want to go Rory, but Mummy said that Daddy is so good at being in the army over here that the Americans need his help over there," she told him excitedly. "And America is pretty great too, or it looks pretty great on TV, and San Diego sounds cool." She was rambling and she knew it but she had to try as hard as she could to convince herself that America would be just as good as Ireland or she'd never be able to say goodbye.

The two children held onto their clumsy embrace for a few more moments before breaking apart and simply staring at each other. They were complete opposites in almost every way but that never stopped them from being best friends.

Rory Flanagan was average height for his age, but still a little taller than his friend and even at eight years old it was clear that he was going to be what the adults called a 'looker' whatever that meant. His dark brown hair was always sticking up at odd angles and his smile was often said to light up a room but it was his eyes that captivated everyone who saw him. They were a magnificent shade of bright blue that one simply could never find the words to describe.

Abigail Moore, on the other hand was short and pale and altogether rather plain. Her dark brown hair fell completely straight and shiny to the middle of her back, contrasting with her porcelain skin and matching here chocolate brown eyes. Although there was nothing special or stunning about her, there was something quite captivating about the way she smiled and even at eight she had a way of drawing attention to herself.

"Do you think you'll like it?" Rory asked suddenly.

"Huh?" She had to think for a second before she remembered the reason they were both standing there. "Oh yeah, I'll get used to it. Nothing will be any fun without you though," she admitted bashfully. She could have sworn she saw a blush creep onto his cheeks but he quickly changed the subject.

"Yeah, and the call football 'soccer' over there, that might be weird."

The two giggled like the little children they were and just as Abby was about to ask him if he wanted to go outside for a bit, a voice called her from the next room.

"Abby honey, come and say goodbye to everyone. We have to leave soon!"

She felt her stomach twist a little at the thought of going so soon but she marched into the kitchen anyway. The room was crowded with people. Everyone from Rory's parents, his twin sisters and his older brother to Abby's parents along with Katie, Conner and Daniel had gathered there to say their goodbyes.

Katie smiled down at her and Rory as they walked in.

"Where have you two been?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Nowhere," the both replied at once. This earned then a grin from Conner.

"Oh yes? Just getting some privacy were you?" for an eighteen year old and a twenty-two year old they teased her as if they were much younger, but it was all in good fun.

The teasing was cut short however by the long ad miserable task of goodbyes.

When everyone had said their farewells, Abby stood on the front porch and waved goodbye until the Flanagan's were out of sight. Without a word to anyone she swiped away a silent tear and marched back inside to finish the last of her packing. It wasn't that sad after all, Rory was her best friend, surely they would keep in touch.

"They'll never be able to keep us apart for long," she told herself in that determined voice. "Never, ever, ever!"

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**Hope you all liked that. There's more to come if you did :) ~Polly**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi guys**, sorry about chapter one (you'll understand why when you read it). It's a bit all over the place but I wanted to give a quick overview of how Abby joined Glee club and how she fits in there and how Rory ended up in America. It's a bit complicated but this is just a little background before the real story starts.

Sorry it took me forever to update! I've had a crazy busy couple of weeks, assignments for university and exams and family stuff and then on top of that I've had no internet for over a week now! It got fixed today and the first thing I'm doing is updating.

To** xLuvStruckIdiot, **YOU ARE WONDERFUL! My first ever review. Thank for the support! I read your review and all of a sudden I felt the need to write much much much much more. So this chapter is dedicated to you my friend, enjoy.

**I own nothing, it all belongs to the creators of Glee. Happy reading.**

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**Rory POV**

"Come on Ma, if you say yes to this I can leave in a couple of weeks!" Rory gave his mother his very best attempt at puppy dog eyes as they sat across from each other at the kitchen table.

"Rory sweetheart, I'm not sure this is such a good idea. I know it's what you want and you've worked hard for it but you're so young!" His mother was making that face, the one she always made when she was about to cry and he felt incredibly guilty about being the one to put it there but this time he wasn't giving in.

"Ma," he said gently, reaching across the small table to take her hand, "You were fine with this a few weeks ago, I don't see what the problem is. I know it's a bit scary but we went through all this before. I'll be in a good town, with a good family and going to a good school. It's not like I'm on my own, there are people there to look after me, it's kinda like boarding school accept I'm staying in someone's house." He tried to be gentle but firm, just like his father always told him but he wasn't sure if he was any good at it. If he were being honest Rory had to admit that it was probably his pleading eyes that won his mother, not his ability to be a strong, confident man.

"You'll call me every day?" she asked with a slightly shaky voice. He stood and walked around the table to stand beside her. Pulling his mother into a hug, Rory simply nodded. "And promise you'll stay safe and that you'll be a good lad."

"I promise Ma. Thank you so much!" Unable to contain his grin, the young lad stepped out of the kitchen a few minutes later with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

"So?" His father asked extremely anxiously. His little brother just stood there looking up at him with wide eyes and that silly bell hanging around his neck.

"So, it looks like Rory Flanagan is off to America!"

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**Abby POV**

Abigail Moore stood alone in the halls of McKinley High, staring at her locker and trying her best to be invisible. It didn't work.

As she turned to face the crowds of people Abby felt the cold, stinging, and all too familiar sensation of a slushie slamming into her face. She didn't dare open her eyes but by the sickly sweet, artificial smell she guessed that it was probably of the blue variety and all over her favourite white top.

"Son of a – " her angry rant was cut short when she inhaled a few tiny chips of ice and began to choke, much to the amusement of those standing around her in the hall. As she doubled over and tried to regain some form of normal breathing pattern, she felt a small hand gently tap her on the back a few times.

"We'd better get you cleaned up," Miss Pillsbury sighed from somewhere beside her.

The small hand then took her by the arm and led her gently down the hall and through a door. When Abby finally wiped the chilly substance from her face, she opened her eyes to see the red-haired guidance councillor staring at her nervously. The woman looked like she was about to have a panic attack.

"Are you okay Miss Pillsbury?" she asked, feeling a little concerned by the slightly wild eyed way the woman was looking at her.

"What? Oh yes fine, you're a bit of a mess though," she replied with a nervous giggle.

_Oh right, the OCD!_ Abby thought to herself. Of course Miss Pillsbury, of all people, would be concerned about someone being covered in bright blue, icy liquid.

"Nothing a shower and some clean clothes won't fix." Abby smiled at the older woman, trying to reassure her. "I'll probably miss my first class though. I don't even know what class I'm supposed to be in," she mumbled more to herself than anyone else. While this was the third or fourth week of school for most kids at McKinley, due to some unforeseeable circumstances, this was only Abby's first day, making the whole timetable thing a bit messed up.

"It won't matter too much. Do you need something to wear?" There was a kind smile now set firmly in place on Miss Pillsbury's still nervous looking face.

Abby was about to give her reply when she was hit with the sudden realisation that Miss Pillsbury was being far too nice, even for a guidance councillor. In her experience, when people were this nice it meant that something was wrong. She shook her head a little, trying to clear her thoughts and stop herself from overreacting (making her realize that her long brown hair was so sticky from the slushie that it was now clinging to her face and neck). If something was wrong it could wait until after her shower, for now she would feel no shame in taking advantage of the older woman's kindness.

"I have some clean clothes in my locker, if you could get them for me it would be great," she replied as she reached into her pocket and took out a piece of paper with her locker combination scrawled on it in black ink. When this gained a strange look from the guidance councillor Abby simply shrugged and said, "I was never good a memorising numbers so I just keep that in my pocket."

"Right, and your locker number is?"

That was one number she had no trouble memorising. "222," she smiled. With that, Miss Pillsbury exited the girl's locker room and Abby was left alone with her thoughts.

As she started at herself in the mirror, all sodden and sticky and blue, she couldn't help but think of how she'd gone from being successfully invisible to being slushied less than an hour into her first day of the school year.

If she recalled correctly, it had started almost exactly a year earlier, standing in front of the very same locker.

**Flashback**

"_You ready to go Mini Mouse?" a voice asked from behind her. She smiled slightly to herself at the nickname but she would never let Finn Hudson know that._

_She spun expertly with a mock glare plastered all over her face. "What did you call me Hudson?" Anyone who knew her mother would have to admit that it was an uncanny impression but the older boy knew that she was only kidding. He laughed carelessly and ruffled her hair like an older brother would to a little sister. _

"_Come on, I told your mum I'd drive you home but then I have to go over to Mike's house so he can help me with my dance moves," he told her, his smile dropping just a little when he mentioned dancing._

"_Mike Chang?" she asked curiously. She had no idea he'd joined Glee club, meaning that she hadn't yet seen him sporting a slushy facial. She made a mental note to ask him about it later. She looked up to see a shocked Finn staring back at her._

"_You know him?" She couldn't blame him for his surprise, she didn't make friends all that easily. _

_When she was little, kids had made fun of her Irish accent, when the accent faded (well mostly, it was still abundantly clear with some words and phrases but mostly people just thought that she was weird) they had made fun of her pale skin or her love of music. She grew up a little and got over the teasing but in the last few years so many life changing things had happened she'd decided to simply keep her head down, focus on her school work and ride out the storm that was high school. The only friend that had stood by her all this time was Finn and it wasn't like he had a choice, he was her next door neighbour and his mother adored her._

"_We go to the same dance school," she said simply. "He only comes on Fridays when his dad works late though. Come on let's go." She didn't want to dwell on the matter any further so she grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door and towards his car._

"_You know," Finn started casually as he drove and she rode shotgun, "you should really consider joining Glee club. We could definitely use you," he suggested._

_She laughed loudly before looking at his face and realising that he was being serious._

"_No way Finn! I told you the other day, I like being invisible! I do not like having cold, wet, brightly coloured syrup thrown in my face!" she protested vehemently before an idea occurred to her. "Did my mum put you up to this? Is she trying to force you to force me to make friends?"_

"_That's probably the most confusing thing you've ever said," he told her honestly. "Come on Abby, you have an amazing voice and you can dance like a pro, you could help us win nationals this year!"_

"_My answer is no and that is final," she declared firmly. As the car pulled up in front of her house she grabbed her bad and jumped out before another word could be said about Glee club. "Thanks for the lift, I'll see you later." And with that she ran inside and escaped any further conversation._

_**Two weeks later**_

"_Helloooo little one!" a voice called from behind Abby as she walked down the hall. She knew the remark was meant for her but she kept moving anyway._

"_Please don't call me that!" she groaned without turning around._

"_Come on Puck, be nice," Finn laughed. Both boys finally caught up enough to walk on either side of her. The two had been a tag team for years now, there was no way anyone could escape knowing Puck if they knew Finn, it just didn't happen._

"_Yeah Puckerman, be nice!" she said cheekily as she looked up at him. The three walked in silence for a moment as the two young men seemed to have a silent conversation. They seemed uncharacteristically serious when they each reached out a hand and stopped her in her tracks._

"_Abby, we were wondering…" Puck stopped, looking over at Finn for support. It wasn't like him to be lost for words._

"_What we wanted to ask is…" Abby didn't let them finish, instead she shook her head._

"_No guys! NO! I'm not joining Glee club!"_

"_Come on Abby, I've heard you sing! You're amazing," Finn whined, reminding her of a small child._

"_I need to focus on my school work right now, besides I turn you down on this at least three times a week, what makes you think that bringing Puck along will change my mind?" She said grumpily as she pushed past them._

"_Because he thinks you're good too, right Puck?"_

"_You're better than good shorty, you could give Berry a run for her money!" Abby had to laugh at that._

"_Oh right, and be sent to a crack house for it, I think I'll pass," she laughed bitterly. Both boys seemed to squirm a little uncomfortably. She was saved from an awkward conversation when the bell for class rang, signalling her exit. "I'm going to algebra boys, I'll see you around."_

_She heard Puck as he made one last remark before she walked out of earshot, "The kid already skipped a grade, how much more focus does she want on school work!"_

_**One month later**_

_Abby watched as Finn scratched the back of his neck, something he always did when he was worried. Sitting beside her hospital bed he definitely had a reason to worry._

"_I'm fine," she said for the hundredth time that week._

"_For God's sake Abby you are NOT fine! I told you if you didn't slow down you'd make yourself sick!" He was almost yelling and she would have yelled right back had she not been so exhausted._

"_I didn't make myself sick Finn! I just got sick, it wasn't my fault!" her voice cracked and a tear streamed down her cheek before she could get her emotions in check. She saw his expression soften a little as he shook his head._

"_I know, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to say that you need to have some fun, enjoy life a little more you know, make some friends maybe. You need to be around people who accept you and support you."_

"_Is this another pitch for the Glee club? Seriously Finn, I'm in a hospital bed and you can't give it a rest for one day?" Abby asked incredulously._

"_Abby, you know I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think it would be good for you. Trust me you'd love it!"_

_She took one look at his face and one look at where she was sitting before deciding that he was probably right._

"_Fine," she sighed, resined to it in the end. "but if I don't like it then I'm leaving!"_

_Two weeks later she found herself wiping disgusting grape slushie from her stinging eyes. On the plus side she actually enjoyed glee club and she'd managed to stay out of the crack house, apparently Rachel Berry had learned her lesson the first time._

**End Flashback**

"Abby?" She whipped her head around to see Miss Pillsbury holding out her gym bag. How long had she been zoned out? "Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale."

Abby smiled as politely as possible and took the gym bag. "I'm fine, just tired," she said, shrugging slightly to emphasise her point.

Miss Pillsbury nodded nervously, her eyes darting around the room anxiously. Just when Abby was about to ask it _she_ was alright, she put on a slightly forced smile and spoke softly.

"Well when you're done here, Principal Figgins would like to see you in his office."

Although she felt an overwhelming urge to ask why, Abby also felt the need to end the awkward discussion sooner rather than later and figured that she would find out soon enough anyway.

"Umm okay, thanks for getting my clothes and stuff." And with that she turned and made her way towards the showers, effectively ending the conversation.

Half an hour later she emerged from the bathrooms in a pair of crisp, clean blue denim jeans and a slushie-free white t-shirt. Her eyes darted expertly around the halls, searching for any signs of danger. There weren't many people around, just a couple of freshman, a junior, a couple of seniors and a boy who looked to be about her own age wearing the most ridiculous outfit she had _ever_ seen!

He was dressed in green from head to toe with a box of lucky charms in his hand and an outrageously bizarre hat perched on top of his dark hair. But it wasn't the strange mix-match of clothes that caught her attention, it wasn't even the undeniably hilarious hat, no what grabbed her more than anything else was the astounding depth and colour of the boy's eyes. They were a bright, piercing blue and looked as though they were staring directly into her. Not _at_ her like her friends in Glee club or _through_ her like the mindless crowds wandering the halls, no these eyes were staring straight into hers as if there was something deep inside that only they could see.

It unsettled her a little but not to the point where she had to look away. Instead the boy's eyes seemed almost inviting and somehow strangely familiar. Before she could even think about ripping her gaze from the captivating sight, it was done for her when half the freshman geography class decided to block her view as the bell rang and they left their classroom.

"Get a grip Abby, not every pair of baby blues should remind you of him. It's stupid and pathetic," she muttered sternly under her breath as she made her way towards the principal's office.

After the words left her mouth she almost regretted saying it, mainly because it wasn't true. Not every pair of baby blue eyes reminded her of Ireland and the friend she'd left behind so then why did these ones? And why now after all these years? Abby was brought out of her reverie when she reached the doors of the doors of principal Figgins office.

"Okay, let's get this over with then!"

* * *

**Rory POV**

Rory was rooted to the spot; it was as if his feet had been glued to the floor while he wasn't looking. The reason behind the complete lack of response from his body was the young woman standing directly across the hall. Her dark brown hair was slightly damp, her clean white shirt was clinging to her in all the right places and her deep, chocolate brown eyes were staring straight into his. He knew those eyes, they were the same ones that had been staring at him for years from the old photograph he kept in his wallet.

Rory felt the sharp pang of nerves as he remembered the reason he was here. He had seen her in a video on the internet, just a fuzzy little figure in the background of a show choir video from nationals the previous year. He had only caught a glimpse, not enough to be certain of her identity but enough to make him travel half way across the word to find out if he was right, and it tuned out that he was. Abby Moore, his old next door neighbour was now all grown up and living here in Lima Ohio.

He was about to open his mouth and call out her name when he was cut off by a class full of kids exiting their classroom as the bell rang signalling the end of class. He tried desperately to push his way through the masses of people filling the halls but when his view was finally clear, Abby was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn it!" he muttered grumpily under his breath.

"What's up potato face? Trying to get into her pot o' gold too?" Rory froze again, this time from an overwhelming sense of fear. He had been so absorbed in staring at Abby he hadn't noticed Santana had been watching him the entire time.

"I made your wish come true and got Brittany to join your little girly group so do ya think you could grant me a wish and leave me the hell alone!" he growled as he turned to face the evidently infuriated brunette who was standing a lot closer than he'd anticipated. His confidence wavered a little when he saw the enraged expression that crossed her face at his words.

"Oh the little Irish boy finally decided to grow a pair? Or maybe little Abby Moore is just a touchy subject," she baited cruelly. The smile that crossed her face told him that she was clearly enjoying this. "I think that you should remember, leprechaun, that the only reason you're still allowed to walk on this planet is because my dear friend Brittany would probably be sad if anything happened to you, and I don't like it when she's sad. Now in my opinion, you're not even worthy to breathe the same air as she does but as long as she seems to be emotionally attached to you I have some tips to keep you off of my bad side and still breathing. First of all, loose the hat. You look like a short, ugly, badly drawn cartoon character. Secondly, stay away from Brittany as much as physically possible. And last but not least, you will never _ever_ speak to me again unless you want to me to throw your pasty backside into the dumpsters near the parking lot. Are we clear?" When he opened his mouth to speak Santana simply held up a single finger in order to silence him. "Nod if you understand."

Rory simply nodded, his mouth now dry from the anxiety, and watched the beautiful, terrifying cheerleader turn and walk swiftly down the corridor and out of sight.

"The next few months are going to be interesting," he groaned as he turned to walk to his next class. That was when he spotted them, over half the hockey team, strutting down the hallway in his direction. _Forget the next few months_, he thought helplessly, _it'll be a miracle if I make it through the day_!

* * *

**Aww poor Rory :'(** he's really having a rough time, poor guy. Maybe things will get better for him next chapter ;)

**As for Abby**, I'm trying hard not to reveal too much about her character and what's happened to her in the past, mainly because I need something to keep you interested for the later chapters. Sorry if I'm seeming a little over cryptic!


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Hello all, sorry it's been so long since I've updated but I've been having a really hard time writing over the past few weeks. One of my closest friends passed away not long after I posted the last chapter and I was heartbroken to say the least. He had been sick for a very long time but it was still a shock. I don't think I ever saw him as 'sick' because to me he was just an awesome guy with a completely brilliant sense of humour and a talent for making me smile, and that's why I felt completely unprepared for it all.

I did try to write some stuff as I have always found it very relaxing but that everything I wrote ended up very sad and full of hurt (I guess my feelings were reflected on paper) however the next few chapters of this story weren't supposed to be like that so it didn't feel like it would fit.

I know this chapter isn't very long or very good quality but I wanted to get something up so the lovely reviewers didn't think that I was ignoring them. I am very sorry and I hope that you will forgive the super late update. A super big thank you to everyone who sent me a review! You're all so kind and I love hearing from you all, it makes my day that much brighter.  
To thank everyone still reading, I would like to dedicate this chapter to you for not giving up on me just yet.

I own nothing to do with glee. Please enjoy.

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**Rory POV**

There was no doubt in Rory's mind that this had to be the absolute worst day of his life. He had been punched, shoved, kicked and spat on, he had been teased and taunted, he ached from head to toe, his only friend had rejected him and the girl he had travelled half way across the globe to see was still nowhere to be found. Now, on top of it all, he was being held firmly against the hard, cold lockers with his feet dangling far too many inches from the ground and an ugly hockey player snarling angry words far too close to his face.

Rory could feel the pain between his shoulder blades from where the three grunting bruits had been shoving him back and forth only minutes earlier, taunting him about his accent. The one holding his left shoulder against the locker caught his wince and simply laughed, squeezing harder as he did so. The painful cry that followed was enough to make the ring leader grin from ear to ear.

"What's the matter Irish? Feeling all alone, so far from home? Why don't you go back to wherever the hell it is you came from!" The angry remark was followed by several childish snickers.

"I.." he began to speak but realising that there was nothing he could say to make this any better, he shut his mouth rather quickly. His obvious terror evidently brought great delight to his trio of tormenters as they began to laugh again. Rory had always felt that there was nothing worse than having someone laugh at you while you were feeling your lowest, this only proved him right. He tried desperately to be brave but in such a situation it wasn't exactly easy.

"Say U2 is overrated!" the orange haired ringleader snarled at him. Rory was sure his face was betraying his fear but he still refused to give in. He'd had enough of this today; he wouldn't surrender, even if it meant being beaten to a pulp. Besides U2 were awesome!

"Never!" he declared in a rather shaky and uncertain voice. The fact that he was almost literally trembling probably didn't help his case. Just as he had resigned himself to being thrown into some filthy, stinking dumpster in the alleyway outside, there were footsteps at the end of the hall.

"Hey!" a voice called from somewhere to his left. "Leave him alone."

Rory turned his head to see Finn Hudson standing only meters away. He tried his best to give him a pleading gaze, begging for help with his eyes, but he had no right to expect anything from the older boy after he'd ruined the Glee club. His guilt over betraying Finn had been growing steadily all day, and by now Rory felt as though he deserved every terrible thing the universe could throw at him.

"Or what, pig skin?" the bully snorted mockingly. "You're going to run crying to Mr Schue? Oh, I'm shaking!"

Rory couldn't help but wonder where the insult of 'pig skin' came from. Was it even meant to be an insult? Maybe he had heard wrong, this American accent was hard to get the hang of when they were all talking so fast! And why would Finn run crying to a shoe? He could see that the bullies were clearly waiting for a reply and he turned to see Finn sporting a very grim expression indeed.

"No," Finn declared, "not Mr Schue. Coach Beiste."

The carrot topped ring leader lost his smile immediately. He glared over at Finn for a moment before finally tapping his cronies on the back, indicating that now would be a good time to release a very thankful Rory from their grasp. As his feet touched the solid ground, the Irish lad felt the exhilaration of pure and utter relief wash over him. Although he had only been inches off the ground it had still been a rather unpleasant situation.

He leaned his head back against the locker gratefully and closed his eyes, taking deep, calming breaths as he did so. His back was aching severely from where he'd been pushed against the sharp metal of the lockers, and he could feel the bruises that were surely already making their mark on his pale skin.

Still fully alert, he could hear footsteps moving steadily towards him, making him tense painfully in reaction. Opening his eyes he sighed with relief.

"Thanks, Finn Hudson," he declared appreciatively as he pushed himself away from the locker and smiled a little sheepishly. "I've got no reason to expect you to be nice to me, after I ruined your glee club."

"I get it," Finn said with a non-committal shrug. "You were just trying to make friends. I know it's not easy being the new kid around school, and not fitting in anywhere." The older lad paused, looking far deeper in thought than Rory felt comfortable with. "And when no one stood up for you, I should have stood up for you."

Rory wanted to say something, anything to make him feel less miserable. It wasn't Finn's fault that there were stupid students here who felt threatened by anything new. It wasn't his fault that Rory didn't know how to act or defend himself. It wasn't Finn's fault that he had no friends. It was Rory who had made life difficult for himself, he should have stayed in Ireland where he was known and loved instead of traipsing across the world on a whim to see a girl from his past that may or may not remember him.

"I'll tell you what," Finn continued, apparently having also been deep in thought and not noticed Rory's struggle for words. "I know you're not a leprechaun, so I'll grant you a wish…"

* * *

As Finn explained his plan, Rory could feel his terror rising steadily with each word. Apparently his day hadn't been horrific enough for the universes liking, he would now have to sing in front of a room full of people who probably hated his guts for breaking up their club. He wasn't a spectacular singer, or at least he didn't think so, and he'd never really sung solo for anyone before so this wasn't exactly going to be easy!

"Are you sure you want me though?" he asked nervously. "I can't dance or anythin'. Don't you have to dance to be in Glee club? And won't everyone hate me because I helped Santana take Brittany away?" His nervous rambling made his normally low voice jump up a notch.

"Dude if you had to dance to be in Glee club I would've been out years ago and I haven't told anyone that it was you who convinced Brit to leave, like I said I understand where you were coming from with that," Finn replied. The reassuring smile on his face helped to ease the tension a little.

"Okay," he agreed, after all this was the least he could do. He had taken two members from them and if he could help them boost their numbers by even one then it was something.

"We're all supportive people," Finn told him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder as the two stood facing each other. "Just think of this as your opportunity to make some lifelong friends okay? Oh and here, borrow my jacket. The green might be a bit much for now." And with that the two of them started to stride down the hall towards what Rory guessed was the music room.

Once at the door he could hear the nervous ramblings of a female voice. "This is a _disaster_! This is not the way that senior year glee club was supposed to be!" He felt his stomach twist with regret as he realised what she was talking about.

Rory completely zoned out until he heard Finn speak as he followed him through the door to face a room half filled with bored onlookers.

"Then I guess we've got our work cut out for us!"

From then on Rory was lost in thought again, only picking up vague phrases through his nervous haze. Something about the Pope? What did that have to do with show choir? An American thing he guessed.

He beamed politely when Finn gave him an introduction and when questioned about his singing ability by a blonde girl he simply shrugged and said "I sing at mass every Sunday," as if that answered the question. He wasn't going to tell them that his brother teased that he only sung in church because that's where sins were forgiven!

As his eyes searched the room he noticed that the one exciting reason for joining show choir was nowhere to be seen and Rory began to wonder if he really had seen her in the hall earlier, or if his mind was playing tricks with him. Feeling further away from Ireland than ever, he decided to make a last minute dedication.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to dedicate this song to my family, who I miss so much."

When the music started to play he took one last deep breath before throwing caution to the wind and letting the song ring through the room, feeling the last of his butterflies melt away. He would worry about the missing Abby Moore tomorrow, for now he was just enjoying himself.

* * *

**Abby POV**

Meanwhile, Abigail Moore stood in the Principals office with her heart beating faster than she really cared for. She tried her very hardest to breathe slowly but to no avail. The pure indignation brewing inside of her was enough to make even the calmest of people hyperventilate. Not that she was usually calm; her mother often described her as having an 'Irish temper' something she'd apparently gained from her grandmother. Personally she had no problem with that at all, as far as she was concerned if someone or something was making her angry then she might as well show it, and boy was she going to show anyone who got in her way just how terrifying and angry Abby could be!

"When I get my hands on him…" She couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence!

Exiting the principal's office and strutting down the halls with a crumpled piece of paper clutched tightly in her little hand, she made a b-line towards the choir room. Now that the school day was over and the halls were empty she made it in record time, spotting the object of her anger walking through the doors along with a younger boy wearing a red jacket.

She tried desperately to get closer but before her short legs could catch up to them, they were already inside. As she approached the choir room, Abby could hear the beginnings of one of her favourite songs drifting through the open door.

_It's time for us to part_

_Yeah, it's best for us to part_

_Oh, but I love you_

_Ooh, ooh, oooh, I love you_

_Take care of yourself_

_I miss you_

To her great surprise it was not a familiar voice that was singing. This voice was deep and rich and resonant, making her feat freeze to the floor and her heart feel as though it were skipping a beat every now and then. The next line hit her hard, making her tar up just a little and reminding her of why she loved this song so much in the first place.

_And no more tears to cry_

_I'm out of goodbyes_

As the music swelled to its climax and the voice moved up into the falsetto, making her breath catch slightly in her throat.

_It's time for us to part_

_Although it breaks my heart_

_Oh, 'cause I love you_

_Ooh, ooh, oooh, I love you_

_Take care of yourself_

_Take care of yourself_

_Take care of yourself_

_I love you_

It was so beautiful that it almost made her forget her anger, but as the songs final notes faded into the rapturous applause from the choir room, Abby finally came back to her senses and remembered the reason behind her initial irritation. With a mighty sigh, she clutched the paper even tighter in her tiny hand and stepped through the doors from the empty hallway.

"FINN HUDSON!" She could only imagine what the expression on her face was like as she stormed into the choir room but if it was anywhere near as terrifying as her voice then that would definitely explain why Finn was now white as a ghost and literally hiding behind Rachel. She barely noticed the terrified looks she her entrance had gained from the other or the new boy she had almost bowelled over in the process, she was a woman on a mission. Her temper had become somewhat legendary in the Glee club during the year or so since she'd joined.

"Whatever it is _I didn't do it_!" Finn protested loudly. Grasping the piece of paper in her hand with all her might, she marched right up to him, took him by the ear (just like his mother used to do when they were children) and sat him down on a seat in front of her.

"Look," she growled angrily, shoving the paper into his hands. All of New Directions watched him nervously as he read the scrunched up letter with utter confusion etched all over his face.

"So?" he asked daringly, looking up at her as he did so. It wasn't often that Abby towered above someone but as he was sitting down she did her best to stand directly over him.

"So? _So!_" she screamed, livid with frustration. "I have to _repeat_ sophomore year! _Me_!"

"And it's my fault because…"

"You told me being in New Directions wouldn't make my school work slip! You_ promised_ everything would be fine," she declared grumpily. The remainder of the show choir were watching with interest, their heads swivelling backwards and forwards as if at a tennis match.

"I don't think show choir is the reason they held you back a year," Finn replied calmly. "You were pretty sick and you missed a lot of class," he reasoned.

She was about to make an argument against his fairly valid point when she became distracted by the sound of chuckling coming from her immediate left. Spinning around to face the source of the annoying sound, she found herself face to face (or rather face to chest due to the height difference) with the young man from the hall only now that he had changes his outfit he looked far less ridiculous and much more handsome.

Going on instinct, Abby said the first words that came to mind. "What the heck are you doing here?" When the boy found himself unable to answer through his giggles she became instantly furious. Handsome or not he was getting on her nerves! "Forget that, what on earth is so funny to you?" she growled.

The smile reached the young man's eyes and they sparkled with delight, making her aggravated and curious all that the same time.

"I'm s-s-sorry, it's just that y-you remind me of some-someone," he managed to stutter between hearty laughs. She couldn't help but notice the strong accent he spoke with and identified with it at once. When he continued to laugh at her shocked face, she turned to the rooms other occupants with wide eyes.

"Can someone _please_ tell the new boy to stop laughing at me!" she almost screamed, throwing her hands in the air. She had no idea what was going on here, it was just so confusing!

"I have a name, ya know!" he said cheekily, still with the thickest of accents.

"And I have a problem, ya know! Now can ye quit yer laughin' and stop bein' such an eejit!" she growled. When she realised that everyone, including the new boy, was now staring at her in complete and utter shock, she raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked, lowering her voice slightly.

"That's a nice accent ye got there lass," the new boy commented with an approving wink before taking a seat next to Finn.

Abby's hands immediately flew to cover her mouth when she realised her old Irish accent had somehow slipped through the cracks of her carefully placed mental walls.

"I…" for some reason she couldn't find the right words right then so instead she sunk to the floor, a shocked expression replacing her angry one.

"Abby are you okay?" Mr Shue asked, sounding overly concerned as always. Her indignation returned but only slightly.

"I can't believe I have to re-do sophomore year!" she said indignantly. The sympathetic glances from the rest of the Glee club made her feel a little better. Finally getting her temper under control (much to the relief of the rest of the occupants of the room) Abby slumped slightly in her place and crossed her arms over her chest in a rather childish manner.

"Look at it this way kid," Puck piped up for the first time that afternoon, "You already know what's gonna be on all the tests!"

"I guess so," she grumbled. "I just wish they'd told me about this _before_ the school year started!" There were some slight chuckles going around the room which seemed to lighten Abby's dark mood. Her friends in Glee club never failed when it came to finding the positives and for that reason alone she could not do without them.

As rehearsal continued she began to smile more often. Maybe this year wasn't going to be so bad after all, if nothing else, she still had Glee club.

* * *

**A/N: Well** that's it for this chapter. I plan to write more very soon as I have University exams coming up and I'm surely going to feel the need to procrastinate. I hope you liked this chapter and if you have any questions or ideas you want to throw at me then send a review and I'll be sure to answer any questions and think about all ideas. Again sorry for the late update, forgive me. Until next time ~Polly.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hi all, here's the next chapter. Two chapters in one week! Are you feeling spoilt rotten yet? Must be all those lovely reviews I've been getting. They make my day so keep 'em comin!

To answer your question, **xLuvStruckIdiot **no you're not crazy at all, Abby really is _that_ short! I'm only 5ft 1 myself so I can relate to literally looking up at everyone, I guess that's why I wrote her like that.

And don't worry **Dark Murcielago**, Rory will most certainly be copping a lovely cold slushie to the face quite soon! Not in this chapter though, the good stuff's still to come.

I don't own Glee. Happy reading.

* * *

**Abby POV**

"Hellooooo, anyone home?" Abby peeked around the massive oak doors as she entered the enormous house and discarded her school bag at the bottom of the stairs.

"Sissssyyyyy!" The piercing squeal came from the two year old girl running towards her from the kitchen. The toddlers tight, blonde ringlets bounced around her chubby cheeks as she bounded through the house, a huge grin plastered from ear to ear.

"Erin Anne Moore, I have told you time and time again _not _to run in the house!" an older woman scolded as she quickly followed the little girl. Abby pried her little sister from around her legs and lifted her into her arms.

"Aww come on Cora, she was just excited to see me! Besides I could use some cuddles after the day I've had," she sighed.

"Oh don't tell me those kids were throwing iceys at you again? If I were your mother…"

"It's _slushies _and you're not Cora, you're Erin's nanny so _please_ don't go telling Ma about this! She has enough to deal with already and it's not like I can't afford the dry-cleaning." For a moment the older woman looked as though she might protest but apparently decided to drop it when Erin began to fuss.

"Time for some afternoon tea I think," she stated in a motherly voice that made Abby's heart ache just a little. It had been so long since someone had mothered her like that and she missed it greatly. "Would you like something to eat Abigail?"

"What? Oh no thanks, I think I'll find Grandpa and then go and do some homework," she said distractedly. With that they went their separate ways, Cora and Erin back into the kitchen and Abby through to the back sitting room. By the time she got there she was ready to slump in a chair and nap, why her mother had decided they needed such a large house was beyond her, but after the success her Ma had in her business she figured it was earned more than bought.

"Grandpa?"

"That you, wee one?" came a voice from an old arm chair. An elderly, grey bearded man poked his head over a newspaper and gave a tiny smile when he saw her standing there. "Was it as horrible as you thought it'd be?" he asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Worse," she groaned loudly, plonking down in the window seat as she did so. "But then again, some of it wasn't all that bad," she admitted.

"Oh?" Her grandfather closed his newspaper and gave her his full attention now. That's what she loved most about her grandpa, he rarely talked and always listened.

"Apparently I got held back a year," she grumbled sourly, glaring out the window at the good weather as if it were mocking her.

"Well can't say that wasn't expected, you took a wee bit of time off last year," he reasoned. All Abby could do was nod in response. He was right of course, her focus had been split the previous year. "And you were already ahead a year so it doesn't make so much difference now does it lass?"

"I suppose not."

"And what was the 'not all that bad' part?" he asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes that made him look much younger than his seventy-eight years. Abby knew that there was something more behind his question, she just couldn't figure out what.

"Glee club was fun," she admitted.

"And?"

Abby hesitated. "And there was this boy." Her grandfather's eyes shot up immediately. Damn she knew she shouldn't have mentioned it! "Not like that Grandpa! I was just going to say that he kinda reminded me of someone."

"Well that's nice. Familiarity is good," he told her wisely. That only made Abby scoff slightly.

"Not when you don't want to be reminded," she grumbled softly as she got up.

"What was that dear?"

"Nothing Grandpa, I'm just going to do some homework." The last thing she wanted was for her grandfather to probe further into _that_ comment. She quickly left the room and made her way up to her bedroom, homework in hand and ready to be distracted.

Later that evening, Abby lay on her bed, frowning up at the ceiling. With her homework completed and her Glee assignment for the week sorted, there was nothing left to keep her mind from wondering to the places she would never usually let it go.

As she looked around her room, trying to find anything to keep her occupied, her eyes landed on the large wooden chest sitting at the end of her bed. Sighing heavily she got up from her comfortable spot and sat cross-legged in front of it. Taking a deep breath, she undid the latch and lifted the creaky lid.

Sitting there, staring into a box that hadn't been opened in years, she felt an overwhelming amount of emotion begin to wash over her. Her stomach clenched tightly, making her feel slightly sick, her heart raced with unwarranted fear and hot tears began to well in her eyes. Her shaky hands reached out to snatch only one item from the top of the pile before she quickly slammed the lid shut, not wanting to deal with the emotions a simple box of junk could bring.

In her hands she held a small, crumpled photo from years ago. As she stared at it she remembered how it had sat next to her bedside lamp, greeting her every morning as she woke up until almost three years ago. There she was, staring out of the faded photograph, wearing a plain but pretty dress for a plain but pretty girl. She was as short as ever and her long, brown hair fell completely straight to her waist having been liberated from its usual bow (enforced by her mother's will, not her own). Next to her stood a young boy with dark, messy hair and the most stunning blue eyes she had ever seen. They were so captivating and bright that even the wear and tear of the picture couldn't diminish their radiance.

Abby didn't even notice that she was crying until a salty tear hit the photo with a soft thud. Swiping angrily at the tears, she tossed the picture onto her bedside table. She longed to put it away where she would never have to look at it again but no matter how painful her memories, she could not bring herself to shove it back into the old oak chest.

With a silent sob, she lumped back onto the bed and clutched a pillow tightly to her chest. Staring tearfully out the window at the beautiful setting sun, Abby was reminded of some of her fist days in America, playing at the beach in San Diego.

**Flashback**

_Eight year old Abby looked out at the waves and smiled. San Diego didn't quite feel like home yet but it sure was fun!_

"_Daddy, come build my sandcastle with me," she called to her father. She watched as he handed Daniel to her mother and walked across the beach to join her._

"_What type of castle will we build today Princess?" he asked as he sat down beside her._

_Abby thought for a while and then smiled. "A big one!" she said, giggling uncontrollably._

_Her father smiled and tousled her hair. "I think I can manage that for my Princess."_

_As they started to dig the mote Abby looked up at the sky and felt a faint pang of regret. "Rory would like it here," she said softly. "He always likes it when it's warm and sunny." She looked up to see hear father shaking with silent laughter. "What?"_

"_Rory, Rory, Rory. That's all I ever seem to hear," he teased. Abby felt her cheeks start to burn as she blushed. "Have you sent him a letter yet?" That made her smile._

"_Yes!" she told him enthusiastically. Then with slight concern, "But he hasn't written back yet."_

"_Well when did you send it?"_

"_Mummy took me to the post box yesterday." Abby looked at her father and once again saw him shaking with laugher. "What?"_

"_Sweetheart it takes a few days for the mail to get to Ireland and then Rory has to write back and then it takes a few days for his letter to get to you," he explained. Abby let her mouth hand open in slight shock._

"_Wow, that's forever!" Her father just shook his head and smiled. Abby couldn't remember seeing him this happy, accept for when her little brother was born, there must have been something about the sunlight and the beach that made him smile so much._

"_God help the US Postal service if any of those letters get lost! And god help anyone who tries to separate you and young Rory," he chuckled. At this Abby only smiled._

"_That will never happen, Dad. Never, ever!"_

Abby tried to swallow the large lump forming in her throat but it was no use. So much had happened since then. She had travelled across the country, living in so many different places she could barely remember them all, when she was around ten years old her mother decided that she was sick of moving and they settled into a nice house in Lima, Ohio. She had been teased and picked on in school until her accent faded, allowing her to blend into the background like any other sensible person and then high school had hit and the real drama started.

Not wanting to dwell on some of the more emotional aspects of the last few years, she shoved them into a corner of her mind but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but spare one last thought for the little boy she still secretly missed. She had changed so much since she last saw him, been through so many life changing moments, he probably wouldn't recognise her if he saw her again.

"He never did write back," she muttered softly to herself.

"Who?" Abby whipped around on the bed to see Erin standing in her doorway, watching with great interest.

"Erin sweetie what are you doing up here?" she asked the little girl as she wiped the last of the tears from her face.

"Sissy sad?" she asked, padding across the room and trying to scramble onto the bed.

"No sweetie, sissy is fine," Abby replied as she lifted her little sister onto her lap.

"Sissy misses people," the two year old stated with a nod.

"Yes I do."

"I miss mummy."

"Mummy will be home in a couple of days and you can give her big hugs," she said soothingly, holding Erin tightly to her chest for comfort.

"Good! It's dinner time now!" And with that the toddler leapt off the bed and raced from the room. Not feeling at all like eating, Abby trailed slowly behind.

As the night grew late and all the other occupants of the house were safely tucked into bed, Abby climbed under her own covers, completely ready for sleep to claim her. As she reached over to flick off her bedside lamp the small picture caught her eye once more. Examining it closely, she looked long and hard at the little boy staring back at her and all kinds of emotions stirred inside of her. He made her think of her encounter with the new boy in Glee club and she smiled slightly. The similarities were uncanny. They looked enough alike, they were the same age, had the same sense of humour and they were both from Ireland.

"Maybe it could be…" She stopped before she could even allow herself to complete the thought. It couldn't be him, she was just being silly. "Don't be stupid Abby, you're just seeing what your mind wants you to see! They probably don't even look that much alike. You don't even know his name!" she scolded quietly. She wouldn't allow herself to get her hopes up, after all why would _her_ Rory have come to Lima, Ohio? And if he did then why would he want anything to do with her? After all he obviously didn't want anything to do with her all those years ago.

Still unable to let go of the picture, she slipped it gently under her pillow. She flicked off her bedside lamp and closed her eyes, not knowing what tomorrow would bring but still restless for any distractions from her sombre thoughts.

* * *

**Rory POV**

Rory lay on his bed, smiling up at the ceiling and thinking about his day. For the most part it had been hell, the bruises that were beginning to form all over his body were a testament to that, but even the aching pains that would surely inhibit his willingness to get up the following morning could not bring him down. He had seen her! First in the hall and then in Glee club and _oh dear lord_ was she everything he remembered! Small and delicate like her mother, strong and talented like her father and incredibly hot-tempered just like her grandmother.

He recalled with ease the times when they were younger and she would throw a tantrum, stomping her tiny little feet atop the stairs of her old house in Derry with her arms crossed over her chest in blatant defiance of whatever injustice she felt was being committed. That was his Abby, no doubt about it but he couldn't help but feel that there was something else too, something different. She had changed somehow over the years they'd spent apart, not that he blamed her, people changed as they grew and he hadn't expected any less but it still bothered him a little. She seemed harder, like she was protecting herself from everything outside her own little bubble. He thought of the way her hands flew to her mouth after speaking in her old Irish accent and frowned. What was that about? The Abby he used to know would have been proud to be Irish, she would never be ashamed of something as trivial as an accent.

A soft knock on his bedroom door brought him out of his reverie. He turned to see his door still closed and after a moments silence began to wonder if her was hearing things.

"Rory leprechaun?" he heard Brittany call softly from the hall. He blinked once or twice, slightly surprised. It was rather late; he'd thought everyone else would be in bed but apparently not.

"Brit, you know I'm not a leprechaun right? You said so at school today," he replied, giving a slightly nervous chuckle when he thought about their unpleasant encounter. He'd completely forgotten about how strained his relationship with her would probably be after she figured out he had lied to her.

"I know silly," she told him in an oddly perky voice, still speaking from the other side of his bedroom door. "I just think Rory leprechaun suits you, just like Kurt unicorn."

"Kurt unicorn?" he mumbled softly. Looking up he realised that she still hadn't made a move to enter the room. "Ahh Brit, you gonna come in or just talk to me through the door?" The door opened slowly and through it stepped the pretty blonde girl, still in her cheerleading outfit. Rory was beginning to think she slept in the thing!

"Thank you for inviting me in Rory leprechaun, but you should know that now you've said I can come in once then I can do it whenever I want," she stated in a matter-of-fact manner that made him smile.

"Like a vampire?" he asked. The look she gave him was beyond priceless, making him shake with silent laughter.

"No," she said with a completely straight face. Rory had to stop himself from laughing too loudly for fear of waking her parents.

"Oh okay. So what can I do for ya, Brit?" He was slightly nervous to say the least. He didn't want Santana to find out the two of them were speaking to each other, not after their comversation in the hall that afternoon.

"Oh yeah. I wanted to let you know that even though I was mad at you for a super long time, I'm over it now and we can go back to being friends." She began twirling her hair in an absent minded manner as she looked around the room in that air-headed way that made her so loveable.

"Umm a super long time?" he asked, incredibly confused. She had only been mad at him since lunch time!

"Yes, I was mad at you from lunch until dinner and in America that's not that long but because you're from Ireland I converted it to the metric system."

"Err… I didn't think you could convert hours to metric," he stated carefully, the last thing he wanted to do was upset her if she'd only just forgiven him.

"Of course you can silly, it's like dog years. I thought because you're from Ireland that metric would make you feel more at home." Holy lord, was this girl serious? He thought that the leprechaun thing was weird but this was completely out of this world!

"Well I'm from Northern Ireland so we don't actually use…" he stopped mid explanation, realising that it was pointless. "Never mind. So we're friends again?" he asked nervously. He'd let her think whatever she wanted; as long as she wasn't mad at him anymore.

"Of course, and because we're friends I thought that I should bring you this," she pulled a small, slightly crumpled photograph from her cleavage (which Rory had to try _very _hard not to look at, just in case word got back to Santana) and placed it on the bed between them. "It fell out of your pocket at dinner tonight," she told him.

Snatching up the picture without a second thought, Rory felt a strange sort of panic at thinking he could have lost it. He had taken it from his wallet to examine during chemistry class and simply slipped it back into his pocket afterwards. His mother was always telling him to be more careful with his things and this proved she was right.

"Thanks! I can't believe I almost lost it." He looked over at Brittany to see an impish smile plastered across her face.

"That's you in the picture isn't it?" she asked mischievously. He gave a small nod in response. "And who's that standing next to you?"

Rory stared at her in shock. Oh god! Did she know? From the look on her face she had to have figured it out but he wasn't going to admit it just yet, after all it _was_ Brittany, she may not have guessed after all.

"An old friend," he said with a non-committal shrug. He tried his best to play it cool and guessed that he was probably failing miserably.

"It looks a lot like my friend from Glee club," she said slyly. Damn it! She was definitely onto him.

"Err…" he didn't know what to say.

"Her name is Abby Moore, sound familiar?"

"Well there are a lot of people named Abby in Ireland and heaps of people with the last name Moore," he shrugged.

"Come on Rory leprechaun, we both know it's her." Brittany was giving him one of those looks, just like the one his sister gave him when she was laughing at him on the inside. Rory simply nodded and suddenly found the sheets covering his bed very interesting. "So you two were friends when you were little?" It was hard to believe that this was the same girl who had been talking complete nonsense a few moments ago, right now she seemed so, well for lack of a better word, normal!

"Best friends, I never thought we'd lose touch but then she moved here and I only ever heard from her once," he said miserably. It was a long time ago but it still broke his heart to remember how he'd felt, waiting for the letters that never came.

"And you came to America to find her?"

"Yes… well kinda. I wanted to do this exchange thing and they gave me a few choices. I was going to go to LA but I looked up the other schools on YouTube and Google and stuff, just out of curiosity ya know, and that's when I saw her. She was performing with you guys at nationals last year. It was just a glimpse of her in the background but it was enough to make me change from LA to Ohio," he told her honestly. Brittany was the first person he'd confessed this too, not even his parents knew the reason he chose Lima, Ohio specifically for his exchange.

"Wow! So have you seen her?" Brittany seemed to be hanging on his every word as if it were a bedtime story, maybe to her it was.

"Yup, saw her today when I joined the Glee club. She was yelling at Finn," he laughed, remembering the way she had come storming into the choir room.

"Oooh and what did she say when she saw you?" Rory's smile faded immediately.

"I don't think she recognised me Brit," he told her gloomily. Abby hadn't shown the slightest sign of knowing who he was in the choir room although he could have sworn he'd seen a glimmer of recognition when she'd stared at him in the hall.

"Oh, well she was probably too busy being mad at Finn, those two fight like brother and sister," she said cheerily. Rory sighed loudly, he only wished that he could have her positivity.

"Yeah I suppose." There was a moment of awkward silence between the two of them (well awkward for Rory, Brittany was probably off in her own little world) before Brittany spoke.

"So if you came all the way to Ohio to see Abby, why were you trying to get into my pot o' gold?" she asked curiously.

"What?"

"Well if you came all the way over here to find your one true love, why were you interested in me? I know I'm super-hot and everything but it probably wasn't a great idea if you want to live happily ever after."

"Happily ever… _What?_No! No, no, no, no I'm not in love with her, she's just my _friend_! I miss her because we were _friends_, I came here to see her because I want my _best friend_ back! It's not like that… I mean I don't think… I mean…" He stopped his ramblings when Brittany placed her hand over his mouth.

"It's like a fairy-tale! Maybe I should call you Prince Rory instead of Rory leprechaun! And it's perfect because you have a funny accent, all princes need a funny accent, like Prince Henry from England," she chattered excitedly.

"Harry," he corrected, his voice muffled by her hand. "It's Prince Harry."

"No I'm pretty sure it's Henry, you should really learn more about other cultures apart from your own Prince Rory," she said sternly.

"Brit, I'm from _Northern_ Ireland which means… Oh never mind!" It was pointless and in hindsight probably not the big issue at that point. "Brittany I don't think you should call me Prince Rory," he told her gently.

"Because it might blow your cover?" she asked, wide eyed.

"Um yeah sure, that's why." Cover? Was he a spy now too?

"Okay well I'll keep your secret if you keep mine," she told him seriously.

"Um, okay. What's your secret?"

"That I know you're a Prince, duh! Goodnight Prince Rory," she said giving him a small peck on the cheek and bouncing off towards the door.

"G'night Brit, don't let the bed bugs bite," he said smiling.

"Don't worry, the sandman gave me my bed bug vaccination last week, you'll probably have to wait until next month though." And with that she was gone and his bedroom door was closed.

That night he didn't sleep well at all, his mind was constantly racing with thoughts of a little girl who promised she'd never forget him but apparently had.

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**A/N: So that's chapter three! **Hope you enjoyed it. Sorry for any mistakes I've been making with spelling and stuff by the way. I usually write in the early hours of the morning so I get a bit droopy eyed and miss things. Don't forget to review to give me your opinions and questions! Love to hear from you. Until next time **~Polly**.


	5. Chapter 4

**AN: YAY! **Chapter 4 is up. Sorry it's so short but I decided to put the next part in a new chapter. Thanks once again for the wonderful reviews! You guys are totally awesome!

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**Rory POV**

Rory took a deep breath and peeked into the hall from the boy's bathroom, he was checking for bullies before he dared enter the hallway. It was a habit, or rather a survival method, he'd formed during his first few days at McKinley. First he would either arrive so early to class that he could nab a seat in the back or he would arrive just as the bell rang in order to blend in with the crowds, then he would keep his head down and try not to draw attention to himself throughout the lesson and in lunch breaks he would hide in the bathrooms until it was safe to venture to his next class. He hated it but it had worked so far.

He had never been one of those kids that hated school, but since arriving at this breeding ground for bullies he had been forced to re-evaluate his opinions on that particular subject. No matter how sunny or bright the morning, he could never seem too bound out of bed with the same enthusiasm he used to and who could blame him, after all he was eating his lunch in a toilet! The only reason he ever came home with a smile on his face was Glee club. It had become something of a safe haven for the weak and the odd, giving him the perfect chance to make friends.

When he was sure that the halls were safe from unwelcome prowlers, Rory slipped through the door and quickly shuffled down the hall to the sophomore biology class. Arriving way before the bell was the tactic for the day and so far it was working fine, there had been no sign of 'Rick the Stick' all day!

"Keep yer head down, yer face hidden and stay close to class," he chanted the advice Finn had given him under his breath time and time again. "Ride out the storm until you become so boring everyone forgets about ya."

Taking his usual seat at the lab bench near the very back, he began to lay out his books to take up the entire space. The seat next to him had been the only unoccupied space in the class since he'd arrived. Even the kid with 6 inch thick glasses and severely painful looking braces had avoided the seat at all costs! Rory wasn't exactly offended though; no one wanted to get bullied just for sitting next to the wrong person in biology class. Looking up to see the class was now completely full, he had to hide his face behind one of his notebooks when he saw who came striding through the open door.

Today Abigail Moore was wearing a simple, pale pink dress with a pair of white ballet flats and a white felt coat. Her shiny brown hair was falling freely over her shoulders and her pink lips were coated in a thin layer of gloss.

"Wow!" Rory had to admit she looked stunning! The other day she had looked nice, pretty even, but today was something else. A far sight from the plain little thing most people had predicted her to become. They hadn't had any classes together yet but he guessed that she was probably still working out her timetable.

Peeking over the top of the notebook, he watched as she and the biology teacher exchanged rather heated words before she was directed to that back of the class and plonked down on a stool right next to Rory.

The young lad felt the panic rising inside of him; he hadn't counted on the two of them being in such close proximity so soon. Quickly clearing his books, he shot her a nervous smile only to find her glaring straight ahead and failing to even acknowledge his presence. As the teacher turned her back to write on the board, Rory heard a very faint string of curse words from his immediate right. Eyes wide and mouth open in shock; he turned to see Abby still glaring at the teachers back. Wow! The girl may have been pretty but she had the vocabulary of a drunken sailor.

"I know you probably didn't want me for a lab partner but I don't think _that_ was called for! I mean you could at least get to know me first," he said crankily. He had to admit that he was a little hurt by it.

Abby whipped her head around to face him, her angry expression turning to one of surprise when she apparently realised that there was indeed someone sitting next to her.

"Oh god sorry! I wasn't… I mean I didn't see you there, "she told him quietly. A slight blush crept onto her cheeks, giving Rory butterflies for some unknown reason. It wasn't as if her liked her, he just wanted his friend back.

"Oh?" What else was he supposed to say? It wasn't like eloquent speeches were his strong point.

"It had nothing to do with you. I get slushied enough; I don't think sitting next to the foreign kid in biology class is going to make it much worse," she stated casually.

"Umm, slushied?" Was that some kind of American slang? She gave him a shake of her head with an ever so slight smile.

"Yeah you know, a slushy facial," she said calmly.

"Err?" He watched as she smiled slightly at the confused expression surely crossing his face. Rory liked seeing her smile, it made her look just like the little girl in his photograph and he got the distinct feeling that it was something of a rarity.

"Anyway I'm not grumbling at you, I'm just a bit ticked off at the teacher. She was the one who suggested to Figgins that I should be held back a year. Apparently she didn't like the fact that I missed so many of her lab sessions and still got and B on the test," she grumbled softly so the teacher wouldn't hear.

"Oh right, yeah I suppose that does suck." Well that was a relief! At least it wasn't him she was objecting to and at least she wasn't yelling at him today like she had in Glee club. It also made him curious though, he remembered Finn mentioning something about her missing a lot of school

"Yeah it does! I had to study my but off just to pass last year and it was all for nothing." She looked so animated as she talked, an annoyed sort of animated but still, it was kind of captivating. Best of all she was having an actual conversation with him, drawing him in.

"Umm so this slushy thing?" Rory didn't know if he was curious or nervous but he had to ask, if nothing else just to keep the conversation flowing. Maybe if they chatted enough, she would remember him.

"A slushy is like brightly coloured sugar syrup mixed with small ice chips," she explained, clearly a little more sensitive to their cultural differences than she had been yesterday.

"So being slushied is…" He sincerely hoped it wasn't what it sounded like.

"Is when an idiotic jock decides to throw one at your face." Rory groaned rather loudly, earning him some very strange looks from other students and an icy glare from the biology teacher. He was yet to endure one of these so called 'slushy facials' but he was sure it wouldn't be long before that particular punishment came his way.

"What's it like?" he asked with a grimace. He felt the soft touch of Abby's hand on his shoulder and almost felt a smile rise through his terror.

"Well Kurt says it's like being 'bitch slapped by an iceberg' but I think it's more like falling face first from a tree into a pile of cordial coated snow," she said gravely.

"Oh great, like I need that!" he cried. The teacher turned abruptly to face them and let out a rather obnoxious shushing sound.

"The sad fact is that we all have to go through it at least once," she sighed. The two lapsed into an awkward silence, Abby seemingly focusing on the lesson and Rory trying to find something else to talk about.

"So why did you have to take so much time off?" he asked without really thinking. It felt so natural to be talking to her that he honestly had no sense of boundaries at all. The look on her face following his question told him that it was definitely the wrong thing to ask. Her slightly annoyed expression hard turned to shock then hurt and then panic in a matter seconds.

"What?" was all she said.

"Well you said you missed a lot of lab classes and Finn said yesterday that you missed a heap of class and yesterday was the first time I saw you and…" he tumbled through the sentence like a two year old down a flight of stairs, knowing the entire time that he was destined to fall flat on his face.

"I know what I said but _still_, don't you think that's a bit rude? You haven't known me for two days, you've barely met me! I don't even know your _name_!" she whispered angrily. He could tell he'd hit a nerve, but he was still curious. Knowing that he would never find out anything if she was mad at him, he raised both hands in surrender and gave a little shrug.

"Sorry, me name's Rory," he mumbled apologetically. The look on her face turned from bad to worse at his last comment and without another word, she turned to glare at the blackboard, staying that way for the remainder of the lesson.

Rory sighed and tried his hardest to concentrate on biology but it wasn't easy, his mind kept wandering to her reaction to his name. He could have sworn there had been a glimmer of recognition in those chocolate brown eyes before something else took over. Maybe he was wrong though, maybe he was just seeing what he wanted to see.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the class there was an audible sigh from the girl beside him. Before he could even turn to look at her, Abby had leapt from the stool and raced out the door, leaving Rory to once again follow Finns advice and try to blend into the background.

"Eyes on the floor, face hidden and stay close to class," he chanted over and over again.

He kept his head down and his eyes low as he stepped into the hall but when he spotted her little feet facing the row of lockers, he couldn't stop himself from looking up. He watched from the opposite side of the hall as she rested her head against her locker and squeezed her eyes shut, clutching her biology books tightly to her body. Rory's heart broke when he saw her chest heaving with shallow, panicked breaths and the worst part was that no one seemed to notice. People walked right past without a second glance at the poor girl who was clearly upset!

"God, what is wrong with these people!" he growled quietly. Rory stood there for at least five minutes, staring at her, wondering if he should go and speak to her. He was so distracted by his own thoughts that he never saw what was coming next.

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**Abby POV**

_Stupid_ Irish new kid! He was dragging up all sorts of feelings and memories Abby had tried so hard to forget. She rounded the corner into the hall before anyone could stop her and leaned her forehead against her locker with a sigh. She breathed shallow breaths, trying to calm her shaking body and allowed herself to simply listen to the rabble in the hall rather than her own thoughts. A few moments passed and the hairs stood up on the back of her neck, she could feel eyes on her back, knowing someone as watching. Her ears pricked up when she heard an accented grumble through the din of noise. Could it have been him watching her?

She was about to turn around and find out when suddenly, out of nowhere she heard a vicious yell of "Hey Irish, where's your precious Finn Hudson to save you now?" followed by the all too familiar sound of ice cold syrup hitting flesh.

Abby turned to see Rory covered from head to toe in sticky, scarlet slush. The poor boys mouth was hanging open in surprise and he started to gasp for air as the cold sent him into a state of shock. She watched in astonishment as the bullies continued to taunt him, the people in the all either standing idly by or walking away as quickly as possible.

_You could have helped him avoid this!_ A little voice shouted inside her head. She scowled at her own conscience, wishing it would just let her be heartless and happy, but alas she could never just stand there and let anyone get tortured, not even if he was the guy that brought back those painful memories.

Before she moved from her inconspicuous spot by her locker, she scanned the hallway for someone, _anyone_ from glee club who would step in for her. Finding herself a lone songbird in a sea of uncaring bystanders, she heaved a sigh and put on her best intimidating face.

"Hey!" she called, stepping forward to grab the bullies' attention. "You've already covered him in bright red liquid; can't you just get on with your day and let him get cleaned up?" The three hockey players simply sneered, although they had stopped shoving Rory against the lockers as if her were a bouncy ball.

"Aww! Itsy Bitsy glee clubber has a crush on the little leprechaun! Isn't that cute boys?" one of them taunted. Abby glared at him in response. How _dare_ he make assumptions like that!

"What the hell? If you think that's what this is about then you're stupider than I thought!" she snapped. Judging by the look on his face, that hockey player was _not_ her biggest fan.

"Why don't you watch your mouth you stupid…" At that moment an orange haired senior stepped out from the crowed and put a hand on the other boys shoulder.

"I can handle this one Mitch," he said, smiling cruelly.

"Oh look it's _Rick the stick_. How did I not recognise your handy work sooner? Sending your little cronies to do the tormenting for you these days?" Her voice dripped with so much loathing and sarcasm that even _his_ tiny little brain could comprehend it.

"That's right, I rule this school now! I don't know if the news got to you all the way over in rehab, but I'm your new king."

"I wasn't in rehab you Neanderthal," she bit back. She hated that rumour more than anything else, even more than the slushies and the taunting and Rachel getting all the glee club solos.

"What did you just call me?" He was shouting deafeningly loud now and everyone was watching. There was no backing out, even if she'd wanted to.

"Neanderthal, an offensive term meaning the subject displays a lack of intellect, lack of sensitivity, and general boorishness." She praised her year seven English class for that particular moment of satisfaction.

"Did you just call me _boring_?" he sneered.

"No you moron I called you boorish. In this case it means somebody who behaves in a crass, insensitive and ill-mannered way." She doubted he would understand some of those words but the look on his face was priceless.

"You don't talk to the king like that!" growled one of the cronies who still had hold of a soaking wet and shivering Rory. She had to wrap this up fast or the syrup would be much harder for him to wash away.

"I can talk to the _king_ any way I want! I have no respect for the king of fools!" _Oh wow, that felt very Shakespeare_, she complimented herself silently.

"Oh that's it!" The bully on Rory'sright had broken ranks to step towards her, fists clenched angrily at his sides. Abby took an involuntary step backwards at this, she didn't quite like the idea of getting hit but she could take it if it came her way, she was stronger than she looked.

"Hey leave her alone!" Rory yelled, still being held back by the hockey player on his left.

"Dude we don't hit girls," one of the others called just in time.

"No but we could flash some lights in her eyes, see if she has one of her little fits!" Rick laughed loudly. How stupid was this guy?

"That only happens with epileptics you jerk, which I'm not! But I wouldn't expect you to know that, seeing as you barely passed the eighth grade!" She was really angry now. What was it with these guys and causing people pain?

"Why don't you just go cry to your daddy about it then? Oh wait I forgot..."

That was it, the last straw. She launched herself at the scowling hockey player and backhanded him across the face with a loud _smack_. They were both knocked to the floor by the force of her attack and sent rolling around in the hallway, trying to untangle themselves.

A loud whistle sounded somewhere in the distance followed by shouts of "Hey what's going on here? Break it up!" The crowds scattered quickly, along with most of Rick's cronies, leaving only Abby, Rory, Rick and one other bully to face the wrath of Coach Beiste. "Abby Moore? What the hell are you doing kid?"

"She attacked me!" Rick shouted as he picked himself up from the floor, still clearly winded.

"He provoked me!" she screamed in his face, not bothering to look at the coach's bewildered expression.

"Umm…" the soft protest from a slushy covered Rory brought them all back to the reason for the tussle.

"Abby you go him cleaned up while I sort out these two and then meet me in Figgins' office ASAP," Beiste told her, nodding towards the still shivering Irish boy. She placed a gentle hand on Rory's sticky shoulder and guided him towards the boy locker room. As she walked down the hall she could hear Rick laying out his sob story for coach Beiste.

"Oh well this is great!" she grumbled. "I knew I should've stayed in bed this morning!"

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**Oh dear, oh dear **looks like our Abby might get into some trouble. Keep the reviews coming my friends, there next chapter will be up soon.

******Dark Murcielago,** hope you liked the slushy scene!

**~Polly****.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hi guys**, chapter 5 is now up and running! I want to take this chance to thank all of you for putting up with my terrible typos! I read that last chapter 4 times before posting it and some still got through!

**Thank you** once again to the beautiful and faithful readers and reviewers. I'd like to remind you that I'm free to answer any questions or even take suggestions. Anyway, enjoy.

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**Abby POV**

"_Suspended?_ You can't do that! You're not suspending Rick and he got some idiots to slam the Irish kid into a locker while they threw a slushy all over him!" she yelled angrily, refusing to use the chair provided for her in the principal's office.

"Abby why don't you just take a seat, we can sort this out," Mr Shuester said firmly, trying his best to calm her down. Coach Beiste had summoned him when she realised it was a Glee kid in trouble, she knew how he liked to protect his own.

"No! I'm sick of this! They push us around, shove us into lockers, threaten us, tease us, manipulate us, and throw slushies in our faces and what punishment do they get? _Nothing_! I can't take it anymore!" She screamed.

"Abby _calm down_," Mr Shue tried again.

"I have told you time and time again Miss Moore; the members of the school board do not consider slushies a weapon. There is nothing I can do," Figgins told her in that annoying, nasal tone of his.

"Maybe you should take a seat so we can talk this out," Coach Beiste suggested calmly.

Abby seethed angrily, finally sitting down. "But you're suspending me for defending myself? That's ridiculous," she grumbled. She simply couldn't believe how stupid these rules had become.

"Principal Figgins, can't we work something out? She's already missed some school and…" Mr Shuester was interrupted by a tentative knock at the door. "Come in Rory, we've been expecting you."

Abby turned to see the young lad standing awkwardly behind the glass door, now showered and dressed in Blaine's clean clothes (complete with bowtie) but still looking rather shaken.

She had to admit, he looked rather dapper and even a little handsome in the red jeans, white button down shirt and navy blue bowtie. He gave her a slight nod as he slipped into the room but she simply looked away. She didn't want him getting too familiar with her; it wasn't like this made them friends or anything.

"She's telling the truth sir, the other boy was going to hit her," he stated without even being asked. Clearly he'd been listening at the door for a few minutes. "I would have tried to stop him but I had sticky stuff in my eyes and one of them was holding me against the locker."

When Abby looked up again she saw him standing tall, shoulders held back and chin up. She'd noticed how shy he normally was, this was a surprising turn of events, he looked incredibly determined.

"Is that so, Mr...?"

"Flanagan," Rory finished for him.

Abby's head snapped up to look at him. Flanagan? As in _Rory Flanagan_!

'No! Stop! It's not him, it can't be him. There are probably hundreds of Rory Flanagan's in Ireland. _This is not your Rory_! You're Rory doesn't want you!' She chastised herself internally. '_But those eyes…_' she thought for a second, looking into the baby blues that were still staring straight ahead. 'No! It's not him!'

"Miss Moore?"

"Huh?" She had totally zoned out, apparently Figgins was asking her something.

"Is that true?" What? Oh right she was trying not to get suspended.

"Well yeah but it wasn't Rick, it was one of the others. I don't know his name."

Mr Shue was staring at her, wide eyed. He seemed horrified that one of the hockey players would go so far as to almost hit a girl, if only he knew the other stupid stuff that went on at McKinley.

"Well if you can't identify him then I'm afraid it's your word against his and we have no choice but to…"

"Wait no!" Principal Figgins was interrupted but the Irish boy still standing in the office. What was it with this kid and trying to tick off people in power? Interrupting the principal probably wasn't going to help in this case. "They said something else. The orange haired one, Rick, he said that he wanted to shine lights in her eyes or something."

Everyone stared at him with confused expressions, everyone accept Abby. She sighed heavily and turned to face Figgins.

"He was threatening to shine lights in my eyes because he thought it would make me have a fit," she stated miserably. When she saw the horrified looks on Mr Shuester and Coach Beiste's faces she was quick to carry on. "Not that it would have, it's epileptics that have issues with lights, which I'm _not_," she said the last part directly to Rory. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea about any of this.

"Still Abby, with your condition…" Mr Schue began but stopped when he saw her shaking her head slightly, eyes wide with panic. She was still painfully aware of the young man standing beside her. She may have had him to thank for sticking up for her but in her opinion there were some things that should be kept private. "Right, Rory I think you can leave now. I'll see you at Glee this afternoon."

"But what about Abby?" he asked firmly. By the look on his face, he wasn't leaving without an answer.

"She'll stay here for the remainder of the day while we decide what action to take," Principal Figgins told him. When that didn't seem to satisfy him, Abby gave him a small smile.

"I'll see you in Glee club Rory, don't worry," she said comfortingly. With a small nod he left the room and walked slowly down the hall.

"He's a sweet kid," Coach Beiste commented in an off handed manner. Abby nodded her agreement but turned back to the issue at hand.

"So are you suspending me?" she asked tentatively.

"Figgins, if you can't admit that she was defending herself you have to at least concede that she was provoked. A flashing light in the eyes may not have done much damage but Rick didn't know that," Mr Shue argued.

"And with your condition Abby, couldn't it have caused some sort of reaction?" Coach Beiste asked.

Abby nodded slowly. "It's true. An Addisonian crisis doesn't usually happen unless I forget to take my medication or something but if I was put under a lot of stress, if my heart rate got really high or something, then it might trigger one," she admitted. She didn't like acknowledging the weaknesses her illness caused but if having Addison's disease was going to get her out of this mess then it was worth it.

There was a moment of silence while all three teachers took in the gravity of her statement; Figgins was probably thinking about how terrible it would look to the school board if one of his students had been rushed to hospital (again).

"Fine, no suspension, but you'll have to serve some form of community service," he said waving his finger in what he probably thought was a _stern_ manner. "Maybe she could be the team mascot, Coach?"

Coach Beiste shook her head. "I've already got one of those."

"Who?" Figgins and Mr Shuester asked in shock. No one ever wanted to be the mascot; it was the worst job imaginable, they got teased more than the Glee club.

"The Irish kid, he wanted to play soccer but we don't have a team so he asked if he could play football. The poor kid would get snapped in half on the field so I made him mascot," she admitted.

"Well what else have you got available? Water boy?" Principal Figgins asked desperately. Apparently he hadn't thought of a plan B after 'mascot'. The Coach just shook her head.

"I'm running a Booty Camp for some of the Glee kids after school," Mr Shue told him a little too excitedly. "Abby's a great dancer, she could help me out with that," he suggested.

Damn he'd been looking for a way to rope her into this Booty camp business since he'd formed the idea and she had flatly refused. She hated teaching some of those guys to dance, they were all _hopeless_ and her feet were constantly being stepped on.

"Fine, she can help with," there was a pause as an awkward expression crossed the principal's face, "_Booty camp_. Now go back to your classes, I have work to do." As the three of them got up to leave he shook his head. "Not you Miss Moore, like I said to the young boy in here earlier, you'll be staying here for the rest of the day," he said firmly.

"But?" she hated the idea of being stuck here for hours!

"No _butts_ Abby Moore, you're staying here and out of trouble until the end of the school day!"

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**Rory POV**

Rory shuffled into the choir room, hoping no one would see him. He had just come from the principal's office and should have probably been in Geometry, but he was on a mission. He looked around the room for a moment before spotting the shelf filled with books just inside the door; he rushed over and started scanning their covers.

"Third shelf down, two sections from the left, next to _The History of Broadway_," he muttered to himself as he counted his way through the shelves. There it was, right where she said it would be. He carefully picked up the massive, pink ring binder and examined the front cover. It was decorated with little music note stickers and written in big, sparkly letters were the words '_Property of Rachel Berry. Do not touch!_'

Rory took a frightened, shaky breath before thinking back to a little under an hour earlier.

**Flashback**

"Come on Kid, let's get you cleaned up before the sugar starts to crystallise in your hair," muttered the girl leading him down the hall. He wanted to protest about the 'kid' comment but he was too busy trying not to trip over his own feet. He could barely see, not wanting to open his eyes too much in case the slushy irritated them. Abby had a gentle hand on his shoulder, steering him through the mostly empty halls.

He stopped when they reached a door to what he guessed was the boys locker room but to his great surprise, Abby simply sighed and barged right on in.

"Hey!" came a loud yelp from somewhere to his right.

"Calm down Puckerman, if I wanted to see you naked I could just go on YouTube," she retorted sarcastically. Rory would have laughed at that had he not been feeling so sticky and miserable.

"I thought we were never mentioning that again!"

"Sorry, I've had a bad day, I'm a bit grumpy. Besides you've got a towel on, so top being such a baby," she explained. Rory was about to ask her where exactly the sinks were when another voice entered the conversation.

"Ahh, Abby, why _are_ you in here?" That sounded like guy who always wore a bowtie, what was his name again? Brad? Blake? No it was something else… Blaine? That sounded better.

Abby must have gestured to him because there was an understanding "Oh," that went around the room.

"Anybody gonna get me a towel?" she asked impatiently. Moments later Rory felt his face being wiped clean with a wet towel, just a like a baby. Opening his eyes, he saw that it was Abby who'd been tending to him while Blaine just looked on with concern and Puck was nowhere to be found.

"So they finally got you," Blaine stated sadly. "Actually I'm surprised you lasted this long, I guess you were lucky Abby was there to help you out."

"More than you know!" Rory blurted out. Blaine simply smiled while Abby gave a slightly pained grimace, probably thinking about the punishment waiting for her. She would never know how grateful he was to her for standing up for him. She had risked a lot and he appreciated it.

"Do you have spare clothes?" she asked simply. She must have gathered his response from the miserable expression plastered over his face because she turned to Blaine instantly. "Blaine? I would ask Puck but he's gone to get dressed and his clothes probably wouldn't fit anyway."

"Sure thing, short stuff. I'll be right back." And with that he disappeared around a corner.

"Short stuff?" Rory asked with a small smile. He couldn't imagine this feisty young woman letting anyone make fun of her.

"They mean it as an endearing nickname not a taunt, so I let it slide," she stated. "Not like those idiot jocks, I'd kill them if they called me short stuff!" Rory's smile faded completely, remembering their current situation.

"I'm really sorry I got you in trouble," he mumbled, looking at the flor instead of into her eyes.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault. I'm the one that got myself involved and I'm glad I did! I'm sick of those idiots pushing people around for no reason."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Rory decided to speak.

"Well if you can think of any way I can pay you back, I'd be happy to," he said honestly. He almost laughed at the slight smile that crossed her face. She looked like a little elf that was up to no good.

"There is one thing; I mean it's a bit of a suicide mission if you get caught so you don't have to but…"

"I'll do it," he said without hesitation. If only she knew that he would do anything, _anything_ for her.

"If you're sure."

A few minutes later she had finished explaining her plan and Rory was feeling slightly nervous (although not nervous enough to go back on his word) at the idea of what he was about to do. She was right; it was suicide if he happened to get caught.

"Think you can handle it?" she asked, grinning with delight. He only nodded in response. "Good, well the showers are that way, get yourself cleaned up and I wait here until Blaine gets back."

Taking the clean towel that she was offering, he strode around the corner towards the showers and let the warm water pour over him. A few minutes later he heard her talking to someone from the other side of the wall.

"He's just over there. I'd better go face Figgins and Coach Beiste before they get too furious," she told someone quietly.

"Right, good luck," Blaine's voice replied. Just as Rory was about to yell out his own 'good luck' he heard her call over the wall to him.

"Hey Rory, remember it's the third shelf down, two sections from the left, next to _The History of Broadway_." He had already memorised that section of her little speech.

"Right, got it. Good luck!" and with that he heard the door open and close, signalling she'd left the locker room.

About ten minutes later he was clean and dressed in the older boys clothes, complete with bowtie (Blaine said he had to wear it or the outfit would look stupid) and walking towards the principal's office.

**End Flashback**

Rory took one more deep breath and flipped through the pages of the ring binder. Sure if Rachel saw him there would be hell to pay, but he was doing this for Abby and nothing could stop him. Finding the object of his search right at the back, exactly where she said it would be, he carefully extracted the pages and placed the folder back where it belonged.

* * *

Sitting in the choir room later that afternoon, Rory fidgeted nervously as he waited for mister Shuester to start the rehearsal. This week's assignment had been all about 'tenacity' and putting raw emotion into their songs. He'd already performed as part of a group number with some of the other guys so today was his chance to simply sit and listen, and if his favour for Abby was any indication, the afternoon as going to be quite eventful.

"Blaine, why is Rory wearing your clothes?" he heard Kurt whisper from the row behind him. Rory felt himself blush a little but didn't look back. "I mean I'm all for smartening up his look but was it really necessary to give him your outfit?"

"Kurt he got slushied, he had no spare clothes so I lent him some of mine," Blaine explained in a whisper, obviously thinking that Rory wouldn't hear.

"Oh! Poor kid, someone really should have warned him about all that," Kurt said crossly.

"And by someone you mean Abby?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Well she's the only other sophomore here, you'd think she'd make friends with him but instead she's avoiding him like I avoid wearing block colours!"

"Kurt I told you, this is none of our business. Yes Abby is avoiding him, yes she's acting weird but that has nothing to do with us and we are _not_ going to meddle in things that ought not to be meddled in! Do you understand?" Blaine sounded rather firm for being the younger one in the relationship.

"Fine," Kurt sighed. "I just know something's up though!" That was the last Rory heard of the conversation, he was too busy with his own thoughts from then on.

So Abby was avoiding him, that's why he hadn't seen her around a lot. But why? Had he done something to upset her?

He was saved from his own self destructive thoughts by Mr Shuester calling them all to attention.

"Okay come on guys, settle down. Now I know some of you have heard about the, umm, _incident_ in the halls today. Two of our sophomore members ran into some trouble with bullies," he told them grimly.

_Good going Mr Shue!_ Rory thought to himself. _There are only two sophomore members in Glee! You might as well have named us!_

"Now I want you all to know that I'm working on this bully issue and none of you should be worried."

"Shouldn't we?" It was astonishing how such a strong voice could come from the little girl who was standing in the doorway.

The sight of Abby standing there almost took his breath away. The pretty pink dress from earlier had been discarded, probably due to the small amounts of slushy it had picked up when Abby fell to the floor with Rick, but she was looking just as stunning as ever. She wore a pair of charcoal, high waisted shorts over a pair of bright red tights that clung to her legs and her white cotton shirt was tucked in under what looked like a ribbon belt. Her modest ballet flats had been replaced by a pair of shiny, black chorus heels and her dark hair was now accented with a bright red headband to match her tights.

Looking around the room he saw that his jaw wasn't the only one that to drop at the sight of her. If the looks on the rest of the Glee clubs faces were anything to go by, Abby Moore did _not_ dress like this all the time.

"Abby, why would you have to be worried? You know I'm trying to sort all this out," Mr Shuester said, trying to break the stunned silence in the room.

"Why would I be worried? Oh I don't know, maybe because some of them threw a slushy all over Rory, threatened to try and make me have some sort of fit and then almost decked me in the halls today," she answered, sounding almost dangerously calm.

"They _what_?" the loud outcry came from Finn, his chair toppling over as he shot to his feet.

"Finn, it's been dealt with," Mr Shuester told him calmly. That almost made Rory scoff in disbelief. The only thing that had been dealt with were his ruined clothes, everything else was still an issue. He highly doubted the day's events would make them any _less _of a target for bullies.

"It hasn't been dealt with Mr Shue. Rick and his hockey cronies think they own this school! They call him _the king_ and everything. Well I'm sick of it! From now on I'm sticking up for myself and my friends, and if that means I get into trouble then screw it, I don't care anymore!"

"Abby, don't" Mr Shuester warned.

"Don't? Don't what? Don't rock the boat? Don't stand up for myself? Don't laugh at the _king_? I'm sick of being told _don't_ Mr Shue and I'm not going to sit by and take it anymore. You wanted tenacity for this week's assignment; well I think I can give you enough to last a lifetime!" She looked over at Rory who simply nodded, letting her know that everything was in place; he had given the sheet music to the band just as she'd asked. "If you'd take a seat, I'd like to express myself in song rather than punch a wall," she stated calmly.

Mr Shuester took his seat as she turned to the band and gave them the signal to start playing. Everyone in the room sat staring in silent wonder as Abby Moore took centre stage. When she started to sing, Rory felt as though he wasn't in the choir room at all, it felt like he'd been transported to a Broadway stage with the spotlight blaring down on the girl standing in the middle.

_Everybody says don't__  
__Everybody says don't__  
__Everybody says don't it isn't right__  
__Don't is isn't nice_

She started off in a hushed, unwavering tone that drew Rory in. He couldn't help but lean forward in his chair as she clenched her little fists at her sides in that determined manner of hers.

_Everybody says don't__  
__Everybody says don't__  
__Everybody says don't walk on the grass__  
__Don't disturb the peace__  
__Don't skate on the ice_

_Well I say do, I say,__  
__Walk on the grass it was meant to feel__  
__I say sail till to the windmill__  
__And if you fail you fail!_

The music swelled and so did Abby's voice as she started to move around the room, making eye contact with each and every member of the New Directions. She gave a little spin as she ran over to the piano, perching herself on top of it._  
_

_Everybody says don't__  
__Everybody says don't__  
__Everybody says don't get out of line__  
__When they say that then lady that's a sign__  
__No times out of ten__  
__Lady you are doing just fine._

She made her way back to centre, standing as straight and tall.

_Make just a ripple come on be brave__  
__This time a ripple next time a wave__  
__Sometimes you have to start small,__  
__Climbing the tiniest wall__  
__Maybe you're going to fall__  
__But it is better than not starting at all._

Rory watched as she made her way back to the piano only this time instead of sitting on it, she ever so gracefully climbed her way up to stand on top (which he imagined was no easy task in those heels!), now towering over all of them as she continued.

_Everybody says no stop__  
__Mustn't rock the boat mustn't touch a thing__  
__Everybody says don't__  
__Everybody says wait__  
__Everybody says can't fight city-hall__  
__Can't upset the court__  
__Can't laugh at the king!__Well I say try,__  
__I say,__  
__Laugh at the King or he'll make you cry__  
__Loose your poise__  
__Fall if you have to but lady make a noise...__  
__Yes!__  
_

She jumped from the piano (Rory almost jumped himself, thinking that she would fall) and ran back to centre stage in order to deliver the last verse with more power and energy than anyone could believe would come from such a little person.

_Everybody says don't__  
__Everybody says can't__  
__Everybody says wait around for miracles__  
__That's the way the world is made__  
__I insist on miracles if you do them,__  
__Miracles might come true,__  
__Then I say don't...__  
__Don't be afraid!_

Rapturous applause filed the room as the last notes of the song echoed through the small space. Rory clapped his hands together so vigorously they went numb before he finally stopped with the rest of the Glee members. The smile he saw on Abby's face was surely mirrored on his own, he felt as though his cheeks were about to crack he was smiling so much. Who would have thought that _his_ Abby would turn out so… so… _spectacular_!

"Feel better now?" Mr Shuestar asked with a grin. When she nodded he got up from his seat and allowed her to take her place with the rest of the Glee club. "Okay well what did everyone think of that?"

"Oh god, I think she did that better than _Streisand_!" Kurt said in a loud whisper, still obviously awed by the stunning performance.

"Kurt!" Rachel had clapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide with terror and looking around the room as if she were afraid that Barbara Streisand herself might have heard. Rory almost doubled over laughing at her expression.

"Well it's true!" he exclaimed although his voice was muffled by her hand.

"So maybe we could do it for sectionals," Mr Shue suggested. This got an even bigger reaction from Rachel.

"Mr Shuester, I thought we were going to feature some of the senior voices, you know because it's our last year and everything," she protested.

"But the song is _awesome_," Blaine protested boldly. Rory secretly admired him for that, he certainly would never have the guts to blatantly defy Rachel Berry, not after some of the stories he'd heard.

"Well I could always sing it." There was an audible groan that swept throughout the room.

Rory looked over at Abby to her reaction and was surprised to find her completely calm. She was sitting silently in her place, looking on to the conversation with nothing more than mere interest.

"Guys come on, I do Barbara so well! I even have the exact same arrangement of that song sitting in my…"

Rory felt as though he was frozen to the spot when he heard Rachel trail off like that. He looked over at Abby to see the interest on her face turn to complete and utter panic. Both of them stared at each other with wide eyes when they saw where Rachel was looking.

_Oh god save us!_ He thought.

* * *

**Oh dear**, wouldn't want to be in their shoes! If anyone is wondering about the song, it's from a musical called _Anyone Can Whistle_ (one of my favourites!) and Barbara Streisand did a rendition of it on her _Back to Broadway_ album. It's available on YouTube so take a look if you've never heard it. Oh and i don't own it, or Glee (sadly).

**Thanks again ~Polly**


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